Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom Journey to the Past
by Shiningstar Girl 777
Summary: This is based on the Hakuouki anime, only Chizuru has transported to the nineteenth century. She's lost and scared in a distant time and she's surround by several men. And one man is after her for some reason. Will she return home or stay stuck in the nineteenth century? Read and find out! Please read, comment, and recommend to others. Enjoy!
1. Prologue Part 1

*This is my version of Hakuouki. In this version, Chizuru was born in the nineteenth century, but after her clan was wiped out and was found by Koudou Yukimura, they get transported to the twenty-first century, after her father disappears, Chizuru somehow gets send back to her original time.

*Chizuru's short sword was transformed into a sword shaped pendant.

*When Koudou Yukimura was transported into the twenty-first century, he forgot about his demon lineage, and got married to a woman.

Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom:

Journey to the Past

Prologue

_**High School Tokyo, winter, Mid-January 2010.**_

"Alright class, have a good weekend everyone." The teacher said. A bunch of students in navy blue, white, and red sailor uniforms got up excitedly. "Hey Chi-Chan, got any plans for the weekend?" a girl in light brown bob length hair asked me, the girl in a medium brown side ponytail over her left shoulder. "As usual, job at the tea shop, making dinner for my siblings and mom, doing chores around the house, and studying all-nighters." I answered.

Oh I should introduce myself, I'm Chizuru Yukimura, and I'm a seventeen year old second year student in high school. You're probably wondering why I'm swamped with so much work. Well for starters, I have six younger brothers and five younger sisters that my mom adopted. My dad who married her, Dr. Koudou Yukimura, disappeared six weeks ago. And no one knows what happened.

With thirteen mouths to feed, money is tight. To make things easier for Mom, I help around the house, cleaning, cooking, and watching after my siblings who most are too lazy to do the chores. I also work after school and on weekends and days off from school at a tea shop and pastry shop in the neighborhood. Also I want to become a helpful doctor like my dad. So, I mostly spent all-nighters at home studying. Which worries my mom that I'm not getting enough sleep.

"Chizuru… all you ever do is work!" my friend Keiko, who I called Kei-Chan said. "I know, but it can't be helped. With such a big family, and dad, the main bread winner of the family, gone, I have to pitch in." I stated.

"Hey Sayo-Chan! I got tickets for that concert you want to go to. So… do you want to go with me?" The president of our school's chess club asked the prettiest and most popular girl in school, Sayoko. "Sorry, but I have a prior engagement with my father on that day." Sayoko said with a smug. "Then I guess you don't want to go to the most sold out concert on Saturday with me?" Sho-Kun said. "Oh, Sho-Chan, I'll always make time for you." she said in an annoying, sweet tone.

"But we won't need this geek's puny tickets, since I can get you backstage anyway." Sho-Kun said, taking the tickets from the boy's hand and then ripping it, dropping it, and then stomp on it. With that, they left laughing, leaving the boy crushed.

"What a pair of jerks!" Kei-Chan exclaimed in anger, "The Chess Club President could have used those tickets to share with a friend of his at the very least!" "What meanies!" Ami-Chan pouted. "Meanies? Really? What are you five?" Kei-Chan said in disbelief.

I just sat there, staring at my desk. I used to go out with Sho-Kun, but that's what I thought it was. That guy was only playing with me, while he was actually seeing Sayoko, the prettiest girl in school. Not that anyone would be interested in a baby-faced poor girl like me.

"Ah, cheer up Chizuru! Forget about that over-glorified show off. All you need is a better man than him, who doesn't say things like 'Like I would be seen in public with a baby-faced, flat-chested, penniless girl. I rather be with pretty and rich, make that 'very' rich girls. Find a toddler who will go out with you!' and soon you'll be saying 'Sho? Who's Sho?'" Kei-Chan stated after seeing my depressed look, but it only put salt on my wound.

"Yeah, you'll sure find your knight in shining armor that's a million, no a billion times better than that creep!" Ami-Chan agreed. "That's better choice of words." Kei-Chan stated. I know what they were saying was that to cheer me up, but I can't get over what he said to me that day.

"Well, I better be off to my job." I said, gathering my things and standing up from my desk. "Okay. Make sure you don't work yourself too hard, on your next day off let's hang out and go shopping, or something." Ami-Chan said. "Okay." I said as I started to leave. "Promise?" Kei-Chan insisted, knowing I always keep my promises as if my life depended on it. "Promise." I said with a smile as I left the classroom.

_**Yukimura residence:**_

I finished two tiring hours at my part time job and I was ready to get home and rest for a little while. Which was highly unlikely, since most of my younger siblings were guaranteed to be all riled up. When I got home, I went up to my room and put on a pair of jeans, a pair of pink house slippers, my red hoodie that had the words 'GIRL POWER' in English, put my hair in a high ponytail, and put on my lucky short sword pendant.

First, I worked to get my riley siblings settled down before I made dinner. Then I had to deal with my thirteen year old brother, Keiichi, to do his homework, which he rather hit things with his kendo sword in practice than hit the books.

Once Mom came home, I knew she could handle things from here, despite the busy day she had. She always seemed to have boundless amounts of energy when she knew that she had work to do. With that, I went up to the bedroom that I and my five younger sisters shared.

I was going to pull another night getting my homework done. Luckily, my working desk was closed off by some curtains, and my lamp acted like a nightlight for them at night. Once that schoolwork was done, I'm gotta read some of dad's medical research books. If I'm going to be half as good as Dad, I need to memorize those books. I still don't know what area of medical expertise I was going to be doing, perhaps I could become a pediatrician or a simple clinic doctor like Dad, whatever kind of doctor I would be, I just want to help people like he did.

Sometime later, mom came up to tuck my youngest sister, Mimi, to bed. "Chizuru-Chan, don't you think you should take a break? You worked hard enough today already." she said, concerned. "No problem." I reassured with a smile. "I think you should go to bed soon." she added. "Mom, I'm fine, so please don't worry." I said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Chizuru-Chan honey, you really need to stop working so hard." she said. "That's easier said than done." I stated. "You're still young you know, you need to enjoy life more. Hang out with your friends and find yourself a nice boy." Mom said. I fell silent at the last part of the sentence. "Oh sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean to bring that up." she apologized, remembering what happened with Sho-Kun. "It's okay, he was a jerk anyway. It's just I'm too ordinary looking for any kind of guy. And I look like a twelve year old, no guys are interested in a baby face." I said.

"Don't think so lowly of yourself, you have a powerful inner beauty right inside you. And I know you'll grow into a beautiful young woman outside and a thousand times more inside." Mom said as she left the room. I chewed on her words and knew that might be true, but it would either take a special person, or a thousand years of maturing to have a special connection to a man. I shook myself into focus and continued my studies.

_**Later that Night**_

I stirred from my sleep noticing a bright light outside my room. It was just midnight, so it shouldn't be this bright. Could there be a fire? I looked outside my window and saw something extremely out of the ordinary.

Cherry blossoms blooming in the winter? What is going on with our tree in the backyard? I went downstairs to the backdoor and put on my black and white sneakers. "Sis? -What are you doing?" Keiichi asked wearing is navy night shirt with blue and green plaid, pajamas pants. Behind him was a sleepy Mimi, who was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes in her pink Hello Kitty pajamas.

"Whoa! What's going on with the tree?" Keiichi exclaimed. "Wow! Pretty!" Mimi said in awe. "Yeah, pretty weird. It should be blooming in two months, not two hours." I said. "So I was going to check it out. I won't be long." "Don't you think that you should put on something warmer?" Keiichi asked. "Like I said, I won't be long." I repeated myself.

I stepped outside and jogged to the tree through the snow that crunched under my steps as I shivered slightly. I looked up and walked around the tree, but I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Then again, I'm studying health for humans, not for plants. I took a random step as I examined the tree and my left foot sank between two large roots.

"Are you okay?" Keiichi asked. I check my leg and it didn't seem to be hurt in anyway. Although, the ground looked like it was about to crumple even further, but it was probably nothing serious. "Yeah, I'm fine. Must be a cave in." I said as I got up to move to the house, "Anyway, I guess I'll talk to Mom about it tom…" before I could finished my answer, the ground beneath me crumbled and I fall into a bright white light that was below it as I heard Keiichi and Mimi's voices, which sounded so far away. I fell and fell and then I blacked out.

_**In Some Unknown Place:**_

It felt like I was falling for hours, then suddenly I felt really a bitter wind bite at my body. I forced myself to consciousness, and I found myself in the middle of a snowy forest near a somewhat familiar river. And there was the tree that's near my house, I could tell because it had the same century old scar on the trunk, but it seem brand new. And where is Keiichi, and Mimi, and the city, and the house… where is my home?!

I shivered extremely hard and rubbed my hands furiously over my arms in a sad effort to keep me warm. I should have listened to Keiichi and put something warmer on. I was in a state of panic, I didn't have a single clue where I was, and I was about to freeze to death any minute now. If I don't find shelter and warm up soon, I'm done for. And I didn't need any medical knowledge to know that.

"Hey you there, what are you doing out here in this storm?" a young man in his early twenties said wearing a thick haori coat. "Well I'm very lost." I said on the spot, which was true, although it was the only thing that I could come up with on the spot.

"Well it was a good thing I was coming through here." the man said, "I'm Tatsunosuke Ichimura. I live not far from here. You can come home and warm up there." "Thank you, this situation just came at me all of a sudden." I said.

I examined the clothing he was wearing. It was a plain old fashioned kimono, and he was wearing straw sandals with thick socks. It wasn't anything you would wear to a festival. I could also see a house in the distance, it was just a plain boarded house, and it was similar to a shack. Both the house and the clothes looked like something that was from old times.

Then a thought occurred to me. What if… "Excuse Tatsunosuke-san, do you know what country I'm in and what year it is?" I asked, not wanting to sound crazy, but I needed to know, to confirm my theory. "You must be a little disorient from the cold, we're in Japan and it's January 17, 1864." Tatsunosuke-san said. "So it's…THE YEAR 1864!" I exclaimed.


	2. Prologue Part 2

*I just want to clarify something, just so no one gets confused. The time Chizuru spends in the past is longer than the time she's missing in the present time. A minute in the past is one second is the future, an hour is one minute, an hour is day, a day is one week, a week is one month, and a month is one year. So Chizuru's father has spent months in the past, while he was missing in the future for weeks. I hope that this has made it easier to understand.

*Unlike in the anime and games, Chizuru will mature physically a bit.

*As for the reader who likes adding Tatsunosuke to the story. Thank you very much! I thought it would be a bit more historically accurate to add him and his brother, since they were real actual people.

Enjoy!

Journey to the Past

Prologue Part 2

_**Mid-January First Genji Year Japan, 1864**_

How did this happen?! Somehow I traveled to the past, approximately one hundred and forty-six years away from my own time. I don't know if it was from the cold or from the shock over my situation, but I was shivering uncontrollably.

"Come on let's in you inside and warm up." Tatsunosuke-san said taking his Haori coat off and leading me to his house. He offered me his Haori coat and he guided me to his house. He made a quick rice porridge, which tasted pretty bland, more than the rice porridge back in the twenty-first century. I don't know how long I'll be here, but I'd better get used to it just in case. I just hope I can get back home soon. My family must be frantic by now.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing out here at such a late hour?" I asked as I hold my hands close to the heat of the fire. "Well I was away on a job and it took me a lot longer than I thought to get back. There was a long traveling party along the roads." he answered.

"So what is your name?" he asked. "Chizuru." I answered. "Chizuru-san, where are you from?" Tatsunosuke-san asked. "Tokyo…" I answered without thinking. "Tokyo? Well, what a coincidence, I'd met a man from that country a few months ago." He said. A country? Was someone from Tokyo in the future in the same situation I'm in?

Perhaps he said that Tokyo is a country, so no one would be suspicious about his background, habits, ahead of its time knowledge, and strange clothing too much. Tokyo probably doesn't even exist in this time yet. Now I wish I could remember my country's history as well as medical and health facts

"I believe he's a western doctor going to Kyoto. I believe his name was Yukimura." he stated. I spat out my porridge in surprise. "Yukimura? As in Koudou Yukimura?" I asked, desperately wishing that it was my father. "Yes that's it." he said. "That's my dad!" I exclaimed.

What's Dad doing here? Was being trapped in the past the reason he hasn't come back home. And what did he meant that he saw him months ago? He's been missing for weeks. I don't know much time traveling, but maybe the time you spend in one time period differs from the time you spend another. Furthermore, why was he going to Kyoto instead of trying to come home? Unless, he hasn't found a way back or he was trying to find the way to get back home from there.

"You said he went Kyoto, right?" I asked to reconfirm his earlier statement. "Yes." Tatsunosuke-san answered. "Then that's where I'm going." I stated. "I don't think you should go there, the capital is extremely dangerous. In fact my little brother, Tetsunosuke, died in an incident between samurai and Sumo wrestlers a half a year ago there." Tatsunosuke-san said in sadness. "I'm so sorry. I lost my older twin brother nine years ago." I said sympathetically.

"That's all the more reason why you shouldn't go." he said firmly. "I know that it is dangerous there, but that's all the more reason for me to go. If Kyoto is as dangerous as you say, then my dad might be in danger right now! I need to find him before it's too late!" I argued, giving him the stare that said, 'I'm not going to back off just because it's too dangerous.'

After a little staring contest, Tatsunosuke gave a defeated sigh. "Well if you insist, I'm due to go to Osaka tomorrow for a short job. Kyoto along the way, so I could drop you off there if you want." he said. "Really that would be great! Thank you very much!" I exclaimed.

The journey was long but in a week's time, we finally arrived in Kyoto. It was so much different than the Kyoto I went to on a class trip in Middle school. No tall buildings, no cars, no tourists or sightseeing students on class trips in sight. Just carts, local people in their normal clothing, and short buildings with occasional tall wooden towers. I also saw a familiar landmark that I had seen on my class trip every now and again. I said my thanks and goodbyes to Tatsunosuke-san and began my search for my father.

"Excuse me sir, could you help me? I'm looking for a doctor named Koudou Yukimura. Do you know of him?" I asked the fish merchant. "I don't know." he said with a scared expression. "Are you sure?" I asked, not sure if he was being honest. "Look kid, I don't want any trouble from the Wolves of Mibu." he snapped. "Wolves of Mibu? What's that?" I asked. "You don't want to know kid. Now beat it!" he said.

I asked around and I got the same answer. It seems that everyone around here is afraid of these 'Wolves of Mibu'. Are they actual wolves, or is that just the name of a group or even a nickname? Either way, I'm going to be worry about anything to do with wolves. Hopefully, the actual wolves in japan are extinct by now.

All of sudden, I got really cold. Serves me right for wearing clothes are meant for winter indoors with just a Haori to wear. I looked up and realized it was nighttime now and it was snowing at a moderate rate. I need to find shelter for the night and fast. Then I realized something else, I don't have any money whatsoever. Even if I did have some yen from home, I'm not even sure that the people from this era will accept them. I might have to find some other way to keep warm if I can't find shelter.

"Hey Kid!" a rough voice called from behind me. 'Oh please let this be someone who can help me.' I thought to myself. I turned around, but it was no such thing. There was three rowdy looking men with greedy smirks on their faces. At this point, I rather face the Wolves of Mibu.

"What's a scrawny brat like yourself doing out here? Isn't it past your bedtime?" the leader jest at me. "If you give us your money, we might bunk you at our mansion." one of the lackeys demanded in a teasing tone. "I don't have any money at all and I doubt I have anything that you would want." I said with honesty. "Well we might settle for that trinket you have around your neck." the last lackey said. "I can't part with this necklace." I said. It was a memento of my original family. "Too bad! Hand it over, unless you want to be cut into a thousand pieces!" the leader ordered threateningly. "Sorry, but I have to decline that offer." I said as I tossed mud at them and ran as fast as I could.

Physical Education was never one of my best subjects, right next to History. Thankfully I have my sneakers to run in, I doubt they can run very fast in sandals. So hopefully, I might have some advantage. It did, but not much.

"Wait you little brat!" one of them yelled after me. "Like I would stop for a bunch of low-lives like you!" I called back. I probably shouldn't have said that since they started running even faster. And in turn, I ran faster as well.

I ran and ran, until I saw an alley to turn to. I went down there and then took a left and hid behind a pile of planks and other wooden objects. There, I tried to catch my breath. "Where did that brat go?" one of the thugs asked. "He's a fast one alright for a pipsqueak." the other said. He? They think I'm a boy?! "He couldn't have gotten far, find him!" the leader ordered.

Oh come one! My necklace can't be that worthy of being stolen, could it? Or could it be there egos were hurt with that mud and therefore are trying to pay me back? They were coming closer, I sink closer into the wall behind in hopes of becoming invisible to them while at the same time, I searched for something I can use as a self-defense weapon. I probably should have listened to Dad and continue learning kendo. I never liked fighting, especially with blades. I have always been afraid of swords and guns for some reason. But I really wish I wasn't right now.

Then suddenly, there was a scream from one of the thugs. "Koichi!" the thug that was about to find me yelled, running back to his comrade, "What are you?" "What's going on out there?" I asked myself as I look over the edge.

There were two strange men, they wore light blue haoris with katana long sword in their hands. These were definitely not normal humans, they had snow-white hair and blood-red eyes, and these must not be humans at all. The men who were chasing me, swinging their swords at the creatures, but their efforts were fruitless.

At one point, one of the thugs swung his sword at one of the creatures, and he caught it with his bare teeth. Then, the sword broke into small pieces when he bit down into it. Then he stabbed the man in front of him and lean down to lick the spilled blood hungrily, and then he pierced the body with his teeth. Only one thing came to mind when I saw the scene, these creatures were some kind of vampires.

"Vampires! Why did it have to be vampires?" I asked myself under my breath, trying to stay calm and not scream. The last thug standing slashed his sword at the creature, the blood spewed out of him, yet he did not fall. He just laughed like a maniac and pierced the thug in the forehead.

As he came up to the corpse, he caught sight of me in the corner of his eye. I froze immediately in place, shaking from the fear. It raised his sword, ready to cut me in half. I closed my eyes and screamed at the top of my lungs, waiting for death…but the sword never came down.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked up. A man with a violet side ponytail over his right shoulder, wearing the same garb and the creature who was about to kill me. He had a long sword that was piercing the monster's chest and then pulled it out and shook the blood off the sword, spattering it on the ground and nearby walls as the thing fell dead to the ground. I don't know who this is, but he saved my life, so he must be the good guy.

"Ah! Too bad." said a young man who was at least twenty years old with brick red hair and emerald green eyes with the same Haori came into the alley with an amused smile on his face, "I planned to take them out all by myself. Saitou-kun, it's only moments like these. You work fast don't you my friend?" "I simply acted quickly to carry out my duty nothing more." the other man stated in a calm demeanor.

Okay, I'm confused those things were wearing the same haoris these two men were. Yet, they were cut down like rice stalks. Then again they were vampires of some sort, so maybe they were hunting them down since there wasn't a cure for them or something like that.

Then the green-eyed man turned to look at me with a mischievous smile on his face. Normally, I would thank them for saving me, but given what just happened and the unsettling feeling from the man's smile, made me feeling more nauseous with anxiety than before. Then suddenly, a sword tip was pointed right at me, making stiff in fear.

"Listen here! Do not escape!" the shadowy figure in front of me said, "Show your back and I'll cut you down." Unable to move a muscle, I just stare at the tip of the blade as the clouds parted to reveal the moon, snowflakes falling around the man in front of me, revealing his profile bit by bit. Why is he pointing his sword at me anyway? I wasn't doing anything wrong, those thugs were. I'm just an innocent bystander, there's no need to be…hostile.

I lost any stiffness I had felt in my upper body as the moonlight reveal the man who had his sword at me. He was undoubtedly gorgeous. He's even more handsome than Sho-kun. His long flowing jet black hair just took my breath away. His piercing lavender eyes were brilliant, they were staring at me, examining me to figure out what to do with me. It was almost as if there was another emotion behind his icy cold gaze, mercy or compassion perhaps. The snow fluttering was illuminated by the moon's light as it fell, like cherry blossoms flowering out of season.

I don't know if it was from the sight of him or from the cold, but my head started to feel like mush, my vision went blurry, and my eyes grew heavy. Then the world went black as I landed on the cold, hard, blood stained ground. Looking back, this encounter was the moment my destiny changed dramatically.


	3. Episode 1: Capital of Snowflakes

*Keep in mind, that Chizuru doesn't know their full names yet, so in the first half of this chapter, she addressing them based on what she heard.

Journey to the Past

Episode 1: Capital of Snowflakes:

_**Mid-January First Genji Year Japan, 1864**_

"Oh dear!" the young man with reddish brown said amusingly, referring to the girl laying unconsciousness on the ground, "Hijikata-san, you were so scary, you made the young one here pass out." "Vice-Commander, what shall we do with the bodies?" the man with the piercing blue eyes asked with the upmost seriousness. "Just remove the half coats." the jet black haired man said, sheathing his sword, "We'll yet the inspectors take care of it."

"What about this one?" the red-brown haired man asked, referring to the girl on the ground. "Take the youngster with us." Hijikata ordered. "Ah, no death sentence?" the man stated, acting like he was disappointed, "You do know that means, we have a witness?" "We'll decide what to do later." He said as he walk away.

_**The Next Morning**__**:**_

My head is killing me, I hope I'm not coming down with a cold or worse. There could be several illnesses in this time that don't have cures yet, if there are any in my time. I need to be careful what I catch for the time being.

I opened my eyes to clear my vision, I felt my hand held behind my back and something in my mouth. That's when I realized that I was being tied up and gagged, laying on a Tanami mat floor. Where am I? It looks like I'm in a Japanese styled room in a house of some kind.

Then I saw the silhouette of a man from outside the room. The door to the outside slid open and reveal a man in his mid-thirties at the least. "Well now, you're awake?" he stated in a soft tone. I was scared, but he didn't seem like a bad person. "I'm sorry, it's not right treating you this way." he said apologetically, "I'll untied you, just give me a moment."

His hands, which felt very calloused, fiddled with the ropes that bound my wrists together with some difficultly. "Geez, that Souji! I'm sure it hurts being bound so tightly yes? Would you sit up for me?" he asked as he took the ropes off and helped me up and then took off the gag, "You can take that out of your mouth now." I was more than happy to get that wad of cloth out and be able to breathe properly again.

"Um, excuse me, could you please tell me where I am? Just who are you?" I asked, hoping that this is a safe place. "Oh I'm sorry about that. I'm Genzaburo Inoue, this is the primary headquarters for the Shinsengumi." he explained. "The Shinsen-what-i?" I said, feeling completely lost. "The Shinsengumi." Inoue-san repeated, "You never heard of us?" "No, I'm…from way, way out of town." I said, which was in a way true.

"Well, there's no reason to be scared." Inoue-San insisted, "I would like you to follow me please." I looked at him in confusion, "You untied me, so you can tied me up again?" I asked, referring to the other rope in his hand. "Sorry, strict instructions from the higher ups." he explained. "And you tell me not to be scared?" I stated. "I apologize again for this." Inoue-san said. Not wanting to cause trouble, I decided to have him bound my wrists again, this time in the front of me, and lead me to another room.

"Please come in." Inoue-san said as he opened the door. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?" a familiar voice said. I looked up and saw the three men I saw last night were here, along with several unfamiliar faces. "Looks like it, you have prints from the Tanami mat on your face." The reddish-hair man stated.

I brought my hands up to my face in embarrassment to check if there were. "Stop it, Souji, this is serious." the man who killed those vampires last night said, "There are no Tanami marks on your face." "How cruel, Hajime-kun, who didn't have to say so." The man named Souji said with a smile on his face. I frowned that he was only just teasing me, which I definitely wasn't in the mood for. "You two!" the striking jet-black haired man with the lavender eyes from last night said, "This is no time for foolish prattle!" "Yeah!" Souji said as if he was ignoring the scolding from his berating father.

"Then that thing's the witness?" a boy who looked about a year older than me with a long brown high ponytail, and blue green eyes said with curiosity, "He's all tiny and thin, the dude's still just a kid." "You're in no position to be calling someone a kid, Heisuke." a man wearing green headband and a black and purple outfit that didn't even cover his very muscular body. "Got that right, to the world at large, you're pretty much in the same boat squirt." a man with reddish hair and golden eyes said, teasing the boy.

"Oh be quiet, you two old guys can just shut it!" the boy said, pushing away the hand ruffling his hair. "What was that you were saying, young man?" the man with the headband said ruffling his hair again. "I don't ever recall you calling me an old guy, Shinpachi's a different story through." the golden eyed man stated. "Hey! You selling me out Sano?" the one called Shinpachi said. "Stop it! The three of you!" A man wearing a black haori yelled, silencing the room. "I apologize for all the noise and chatter." a man wearing glasses said, "Please do not be afraid. Come, close that door and sit down with us." "Alright." I said sliding the door close.

"I am Isami Kondou, Commander of the Shinsengumi. Sannan-kun is the deputy commander." the man in the black haori said, introducing himself and the be-speckled man to his right, "And Toshi…Rather Toshizou Hijikata, is the vice commander." "Kondou-san! Why are you telling the child all about us?" Hijikata-san scolded as if he and Kondou-san's positions were reversed. "Is...is that bad?" he asked.

"You're about to interrogate the boy, not ask him out to dinner." Shinpachi stated. "Well now, being earnest to a fault really is your style, isn't it, Kondou-san?" Sano said. Kondou-san cleared his throat and said "Well, let's get down to it. First, will you tell me about last night's events, Saitou-kun?"

"Last night in town, two failed warriors encountered some rogue samurai on the street. A sword fight ensued, but we were able to settle things." the man said, "This person witnessed the encounter we had." he looked at me like I wasn't supposed to be there, which I probably wasn't. "I was there completely by continence." I said, which was true, I was mostly in the dark. "Really?" Heisuke asked.

"Really, I was minding my own business, looking for someone. Then these jerks appeared trying to take my pendant…" I said. Then I realized something, looked around my neck, and panicked. "Where's my pendant?!" I asked, franticly. "You mean this?" Souji asked, teasingly as he draggle the pendant in his fingers, "We had this confiscated." "Why? It's just a necklace!" I exclaimed.

"Is it?" Hijikata-san asked as Souji tossed the necklace to him and when he pressed the tip of the handle, it turned into a life sized sword. I just sat there dumbfounded, I had absolutely no idea it could do that, but this isn't the time to be wondering about that. "Look those thugs were chasing me and cornered me in that alley and then those vampires came out of nowhere, attack those two men, and drank their blood. And then you guys appeared and stopped them before they could get to me." I explained myself further, trying to convince that I wasn't a spy or anything.

"Vampires?" Sannan-san said, perplexed. "You know, nocturnal beings, can't stand being in sunlight, drinks blood to survive, and if you get bitten by one, you get turned into one yourself." I said. The room fell silence for a while for some reason. "Say that last part again." Kondou-san said a slight pause. "I said, if you get bitten by a vampire, you get turned into one yourself." I repeated. They all sat there like I was crazy, which it probably seemed like it.

"Anyway, you meant tell us that you saw those soldiers killing those rogue samurai last night right?" Shinpachi asked. Then I realized I should have kept my big mouth shut. "I see that you have an honest heart," Sano said, "You know, that's not actually a bad thing. "Come on, just use the kid's blade." Souji said, "That's the best to make sure that the Runt doesn't talk." "Whoa! Whoa! Wait minute! There's no need to get violent!" I said, realizing that I might get kill for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Don't say such things!" Kondou-san scolded, "What do you mean by recklessly killing a civilian?" "Yeah! What he said!" I stated, hoping to better the situation. "Take it easy, Commander, it was just a joke." Souji said. "Try telling a joke that actually sounds like one." Saitou-san stated. My thoughts exactly!

"If this is about me saying anything about those vampires. Believe me, I won't say anything about this. I promise!" I said, "I mean, who would actually believe me if I did tell someone. Vampires are just fictional stuff from scary stories after all." But my convincing didn't seem to convince Hijikata-san. "That's enough, leave us now, child." he said, without looking at me.

Then Saitou-san stood up, grabbed me by the collar, and pulled me out of the room. "No wait!" I yelled as I was dragged out of the room, "I really won't say anything. When I make a promise, I never ever break it! It's a matter of life or death for me in that concept! Please, I really won't!" but Saitou-san paid no attention to what I said and tossed me back into the room I was in as if I was a piece of baggage.

I winced at the pain from the harsh impact of the Tanami floor, I couldn't even use my arms to catch myself. After I got over the pain, I looked back up to Saitou-san who was looking at me with cold emotionless eyes. "For your sake, I think you should imagine the worst." he warned, "Things are highly unlikely to go well." When he left the room, I couldn't stop shaking in fear to the blink of tears. Wherever my dad is, I hope it isn't as bad as the situation I'm in right now.

_**Back with the Shinsengumi**__**:**_

"What?! Let him live?!" Shinpachi-san exclaimed at Hijikata's decision. "Are you sure, Hijikata-San?" Harada asked concern as well as confused, "The boy witnessed them, he saw the failed ones." "Last night in town, we eliminated soldiers that turned their back on the code." Hijikata explained, "The youngster happened to be there and witnessed their deaths."

"Going just by that, do you wish to say it, friend?" Sannan asked. "That is the extent of the poor child's grasp on this situation." "Well…if you say so Toshi." Kondou said, trusting his good friend's judgement. "You planned this from the start haven't you, otherwise you wouldn't have bought him back to headquarters, well not alive anyway." Sannan stated, earning a grunt from the lavender eyed man. "That being said, the secret would have to be protected." Sannan continued, "We can't simply let him go scot-free." "I am well aware." Hijikata exclaimed as he stood up, "there are still things I have to confirm."

With that, he left the room, leaving the other to ponder about what exactly was the Vice-Commander thinking. Normally, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill a possible spy, but now he was saying that the child was just an innocent bystander. Was there more to the mysterious stranger than what it appears to be?

_**Later that Evening**__**:**_

I had managed to get the ropes binding my wrists off and now was trying figuring out what to do in this very unusual situation, despite having a feverish headache that made my brain feel like pudding, and having to rub my arms furiously to warm up. To sum things up, I have somehow been sent to the year 1864 where Dad had somehow gotten here as well, I saw blood-crazed vampires, swordsmen called 'The Shinsengumi' captured me as someone to be executed for my lousy timing, and no matter what I do, I'm sure to be killed. If I try to escape, they might see me as guilty of whatever they thought about me and kill me on the spot. If I wait around in this drafty room, chances are more likely to go as Saitou-san said.

Maybe if I tell them that I'm actually a girl, they will take it easier on me. then again, woman didn't have as much rights and privileges as they do in the 21st century, so it might not matter whether or not I'm a boy or a girl. I could try to explain my situation to them, hoping to improve my chances of living a bit, but how can I do it without revealing that I'm from the future? They'll probably just see me as sick or insane and kill me instantly as well. Whatever happens, I think it's best to keep my true location and time period to myself.

If I had known that my necklace was really a short sword in disguise, I could have used it to threaten them and escape, but that definitely won't work because my negligence of my kendo lessons. How was it that my necklace could do that anyway? Either way, I got places to go and people to find, and the underworld and the grim reaper aren't what I'm looking for.

When suddenly, my head throbbed like it was being crushed and it felt like my throat had something thick and sticky was trying to come out all at once and it was too small to release it, making it difficult to breath. I hunched over and started coughing uncontrollably. With every cough I took, it felt as air was being forced out of my lungs. My body was freezing cold and burning up at the same time, and I hacked up whatever I had for the last few days, which burned my throat.

These symptoms were very similar to a cold or flu, but in this day and age and the way I was feeling, it was possible I caught something much worst. And since I had nothing but the thin clothes from my own world and a haori, not to mention I slept and spent all day and night in this drafty room without my haori, I might have gotten pneumonia.

I thought I was going to suffer to death with no one to reach out to, then suddenly the sliding room flew open. "What's going on in here?" a rough voice asked. I couldn't see the figure very well, but I could tell from the voice it was Hijikata-san. As he approached me, I tried to scramble to get away from him, but my legs felt so numb that I didn't get anywhere. I flinched when he put his large hands on my left shoulder and back, but despite of his harsh voice, I could feel a slight concern, and his hands display a great gentleness, and that bought me an instant yet strange comfort to me through my pain.

"What's going on, Toshi!" Kondou-san asked as he dashed into the room. "I don't know, I just heard some coughing and found the child like this when I got in here." Hijikata-san explained as I started to cough harder, which scratched my lungs and throat, making them feel like they were being burned, "Hey! Calm down!" "Aw man! Of all times for Yamazaki-kun to be out on a mission!" the boy called Todou-san exclaimed in panic. "Quick! Todou-kun, get the basket of the doctor's belongings. Some of his medicines survived the fire, there must be something in there that can be used to calm this fit at least until Yamazaki returns." Sannan-san said. "Right!" Todou-san said as he dash through the hall.

A few minutes later, I was close to unconsciousness and was grasping the smallest amounts of air I could get through the sour taste of my own bile, which happened to spew out a couple more times. Todou-san came back with a basket full of bottles and other medical items along with various miscellaneous items in one hand and a cup of water in another. After rummaging through the basket, they found a powder, mixed it with the water, and poured the contents into my mouth as Hijikata-san held me up with his arms. A few seconds after I swallowed the medicine, it was easier for me to breathe again, but my body was shivering with the pain it felt. "That was a close one!" Todou-san sighed in relief.

My vision cleared a bit and I turned my head to the right to examine my surroundings. That's when I saw something familiar. Suddenly feeling my strength anew, I pushed myself out of Hijikata-san's arms, despite his protests to just lay down, and scrambled towards the basket and grabbed the small dark blue item that jingled as I examined it closer. "It can't be!" I stated in disbelief. The men were perplexed about my sudden behavior. "Have you seen that amulet before?" Hijikata-san asked. "Yes!" I exclaimed with the utmost certainty, "It may be burned, but this is the exact same amulet, me and my siblings gave to our dad before he disappeared!" "What!?" all four men exclaimed. "Alright, then you better explain this to us." Hijikata-san said sternly, "If there's a reason you believe that this is your father's, I want to hear your reasoning." Surprised that he was going to listen to me, I could only nod in agreement.

We were back in the room was I was interrogated before, and everyone was prepared to listen to my story. Of course, I still need to keep my facts straight while avoiding anything that could reveal my true origins. "Well for starters, my name in Chizuru Yukimura." I introduced myself as I looked back to when this whole thing happened, which was about six weeks ago.

_**Flashback, December 6, 2010**__**:**_

It was a normal day at home, I was helping Mom with the kids who at the moment were having pre-Christmas jitters. However, Dad was acting strange. It was like he had something to debate about in his mind and it was in his head for awhile.

"Chizuru…" Dad said as he look towards the sky. "Yeah, what is it Dad?" I asked as I finished putting away the boxes full of Christmas decorations. "The thing is…I must be away in a city quite far from here for awhile to do some business." He said. "For work again?" I asked. He nodded in reply.

"How long is 'for a time' this time?" I asked, knowing he can be gone for months at a time. "That I do not know, it could be one month, could be two. So I won't be able to make in time for Christmas or even New Year's." he said regretfully. "Oh…" I replied, feeling disappointed that we couldn't spend Christmas together this year. But I knew that he needed to do his work for those who are in pain and for our family as well.

"Just please be careful, Dad." I said, trying to act strong, "Big cities aren't the safest places to be." "Rest easy, my child, while I'm away, I'll make sure that I will contact you guys regularly, so you won't worry about me." he reassured. "Alright, it's a promise then." I said, feeling relieved.

He kept his word at first, but then about a week later, we lost all contact with him. We asked a detect… someone who specializes in finding missing people, but they couldn't find any clue to his whereabouts. About a week earlier, I found myself here in this country, away from my country of Tokyo. I'm not sure how I got there."

Then someone told me that he met a doctor from Tokyo who had gone to Kyoto. I got here yesterday and asked around town if they've seen him, but they wouldn't answer me because of the 'Wolves of Mibu' or something. I was already at my wits end when I ran into those men.

_**Later that Evening**__**:**_

"And you guys know the rest." I said, after I finished explaining as best I could, the room remained quiet. "I see, you came from a faraway country to find your father." Kondou-san said, "That must have been hard on you." "You don't know the half of it." I stated. "That's why a young girl like you would dress up pretending to be a man, uh?" Hijikata-san said after taking what I said into account, "It makes sense to me."

Kondou-san nodded in agreement, but then he realized what Hijikata-san said. "What's that?" he exclaimed, "Young Girl?!" "What the? You're a girl?!" Nagakura-san said equally shocked. "It can't be!" Todou-san stated as well.

Kondou-san grunted in frustration and embarrassment over this new revelation. "I, Isami Kondou, have committed a great blunder!" he said, as he slapped his forehead, "I'd never dreamed you were a girl!" "She's obliviously a girl, wouldn't you agree?" Okita-san admitted. "Well, Chizuru is more of a girl's name." Saitou-san stated as of matter of fact-ly.

"Yeah, but still you have no proof." Nagakura-san stated with doubt. "What exactly do you mean by proof?" I asked, bothered by that tone. I know that these look like boys' clothes, but there has to be at least one quality that gives me some femininity. "Why not just strip her and see?" Harada-san suggested. "What?" I shouted as I threw my arms cross my chest. That is not what I had in mind! "No! That is utterly forbidden!" Kondou-san said thankfully in my defense, with cheeks tinted with red. "Please calm yourself." Sannan-san said with composure. "But this is just…" Kondou-san muttered in shock.

"You said that your name is Chizuru Yukimura, yes?" Sannan-san asked. "That's right." I answered. "Would your father perhaps be Kodou Yukimura, Practitioner of Western Medicine?" he asked. So these guys did know my dad. "Do you know where my dad is? And please don't say you can't tell me because you don't want to get involve with the Wolves of Mibu." I said feeling at the end of my rope, not sure if it was due to the fever or my worry for Dad's wellbeing.

The room went silent for some time and Hijikata-san's face went stiff with shock. "So, you're Kodou-san's little girl." Kondou-san stated. "Alright…and just how much do you know?" Hijikata-san asked suspiciously. "How much?" I asked perplexed. "Don't play dumb, not about Kodou-san." he interrogated further. "What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling really uneasy, "Did something happen to my dad?" I asked.

"A little over a month ago, there was a fire at the clinic where Kodou-san worked." Saitou-san explained, "The doctor has been missing ever since that time." "What!? Was it the Wolves of Mibu?" I asked. "It wasn't us!" Todou-san exclaimed. "What?" I said. "The 'Wolves of Mibu' is actually a nickname for our little group of swordsman." Kondou-san stated with a slight laugh. "What?!" I shouted, speechless to say anything else.

"Anyway, the fire was suspicious, but no body was found in the aftermath." Sannan-san continued to explain, "However, it's possible that he was involved in some sort of incident." "Kodou-san was working with us and it might be possible someone was trying capture him to find our secrets." Kondou-san explained, which did nothing to comfort me.

"We're in the process of tracking down Kodou-san's whereabouts." Hijikata-san said, "If you keep quiet about last night, you can stay under our protection until we are able to find your father." That statement really surprised, they are going to let me stay here and help me find my dad. "Do not worry, child, the Shinsengumi will track down your father. Have no fear." Kondou-san reassured. "Thank you so much!" I said with the utmost gratitude.

"Good thing, you didn't have to die uh? I mean for now that is." Okita-san said. What did he mean by that? "Well, if you're a girl, we have to treat you more accordingly huh?" Nagakura-san said. "Shinpachi, you're a real sap for women, but this change of heart is way too quick." Heisuke stated. "Where's the harm?" Harada-san asked, "If this will add a little glamour to the headquarters, Shinpachi won't be the only one celebrating, I bet."

"Still, as we are warriors, handling her will be difficult." Sannan-san added, "We must give some thought on how we are going to treat her." "Then we should make her a page, perhaps Kondou-san's or Sannan-san's." Hijikata suggested. "No way, Hijikata-san, it was your idea, so you look after her." Okita-san stated. "What?" Hijikata-san exclaimed. "Yeah, she'll be safe by your side, Toshi." Kondou-san added.

"It's decided, Hijikata-kun, do your best to take care of the little lady." Sannan-san said with a mischievous smile. "That's our vice-commander alright. So reliable, aren't you?" Harada-san said. "Alright! Thank Goodness for that!" Nagakura-san joined in as the others teased him in one way or another. "You…" Hijikata-san grumbled in an annoyed tone. "We said something good, didn't we?" Okita-san added. I was starting to get uneasy again. What's going to happen to me?  
Then I started to have another coughing fit. Inoue-san came up to me and rubbed my back to try to smooth my coughing. "I think the first thing we need to do is get this child to bed." he said. "Where exactly?" Todou-san asked concerned, "The sleeping quarters are full of men, and that's no place for a girl, yet alone, a sick one. Remember what happened to Oume-san?" They all winced at the memory of the innocent woman, which I didn't want to know.

"What about the room next to the one I was in?" I asked, remembering it was very bare. Todou-san blushed hard after the realization that the room was vacate. "Well, we better get her some warm clothes, a futon with plenty of warm blankets, a bowl of cold water with a cloth, and an extra bowl in case she needs to um…empty her stomach." Kondou-san said, "Speaking of stomach, we should get her something light to digest."

"I'll handle that." Saitou-san offered, "Heisuke's night kimono is about her size, he can lend her one of his." "Hey! Ask me first!" Todou-san complained. "I'll escort Yukimura-kun there. Well then, goodnight everyone." Inoue-san said as he led me out of the room again. Hopefully I will get a better night's sleep, I will get better soon, and Dad will be found safe and sound.

_**Later that Evening, Hijikata's Quarters**__**:**_

"What do you think?" Hijikata asked Okita and Saitou while he was working on his paperwork. "About what? That young girl?" Okita asked with a big grin. "Who else?" Hijikata answered with a question. "She's pretty cute! I don't hate her myself." he answered. "I'm not sure how to make of her exactly, but thankfully she doesn't know how furies are made, and the less she knows, the better." Saito said.

"But that is not the point, is it?" Hijikata stated with suspicion, "She comes to the capital in search of Kodou-san, at the same time, she encounters our soldiers. For a coincidence, it's a little too convenient, isn't it?" "Are you implying that the girl was attacked on purpose, hoping to find out more on the Shinsengumi?" Saitou asked. "No way! She's not smart enough to pull something like that off." Okita stated. Hijikata just stayed quiet, hoping that their mysterious guest was really an innocent bystander.

_**A Few Weeks Later**__**:**_

__It was the afternoon and I have finally gotten over my cold, thanks to everyone here. I had changed into my normal clothes, let my hair hang loose, and I opened the window to look outside the winter wonderland of old Kyoto. "It's cold!" I exclaimed as I rubbed my hands over my arms to keep warm, reminding myself that I can't keep the window open long. I looked down at my necklace and thought back to about my third day here.

_**Flashback to a Few Weeks Earlier**__**:**_

"The Shinsengumi are in charge of your safety." Hijikata-san began to explain, "However, because you're a girl, we can't just simply leave you at headquarters. That's why you will continue dressing as a man." "The clothes I was wearing are girl's clothes." I mumbled after my breath. "Even if it weren't your intent, the presence of a woman will disrupt the order within the organization." Sannan-san explained.

"How so?" I asked, knowing that there will be an obvious answer. "The guys might be smitten by you and get distracted for one thing." Okita-san joked. "No need to worry about that." I said under my breath, remembering what happened with Sho-kun, which brought up that day again. "What was that?" Sannan-san asked. "Nothing." I said, shaking my head with a slight smile on my face, trying my best to forget the memory.

"Anyway, what should I…" I began to ask. "You don't have to do anything." Hijikata-san said, "You just have to stay in the room." That was pretty rude, just because I'm younger, doesn't mean he can treat me like a child. "Wasn't this girl supposed to be someone's page?" Okita-san asked, "I thought we agreed on that." "Quiet! Try to keep your mouth shut, Souji!" Hijikata-san exclaimed.

Then he cleared his throat to get back to his point. "Also…" he said as he picked up my necklace turned sword to me, which surprised me, "This is rather important to you, yes? No man would be caught without his weapon and you are no exception." I reached out to receive my important procession and retract my hands immediately when our hands touched for a split second. "Thank you very much." I said bashfully as the sword became a necklace again.

_**Flashback Ended**__**:**_

"Still, I just want to know when I can go out and search for my Dad. Are they just going to keep me in this room while I'm 'in their care'?" I asked myself out loud, "At this rate, I'll be stuck in here for the rest of my life." "I think that's up to your jurisdiction, if you ask me." a voice said. I looked down to my bottom left of my vision and almost scream in surprise when I saw Okita-san sitting and looking up at the sky.

"Okita-san! What are you…?" I managed to say. "What? Oh, what a surprise, you just now noticed." he say as if it was the most natural thing to say, "Come on, this time of day, I'm the one in charge of watching you." That's right, ever since it has been decided that I will stay here, they have been watching to make sure that I don't try anything funny. "Does that mean you heard everything I've just said?" I asked, nervously to which he smiled an impish smile as an answer. I nearly fainted out of embarrassment, he heard me, he definitely heard me.

"Tonight's dinner has been prepared." Another voice to my right said, "Are you feeling up to it?" I turned to the source of the voice and saw Saitou-san standing there with a tray full of food. "Um, Saitou-san were you here this whole time?" I asked uneasily to which he just nodded. Saitou-san heard me too, it's official, I'll be known as the weird girl that talks to herself.

"Hey there! You guys ready to eat?" Todou-san came to his friends. "I got a lot of work to do, you guys go ahead without me." Saitou-san insisted. "Hijikata-san's orders were to not let her out of our sight for even a moment, right?" Okita-san stated. "If that's the case, I think she come and eat with all of us since she's over her cold now." Todou-san suggested, which surprised me.

"We are not to let her out, remember." Saitou-san reminded. "Where's the harm?" Todou-san asked, "Hijikata-san's in Osaka." "Yeah, that's right." Okita-san said, "I'm getting tired of just watching this girl eat." Then he took the tray out of Saitou-san's hands and place it in Todou-san's. "Why are you giving this to me?" he asked. "You're the one who brought it up, so." Okita-san answered as he and Saitou-san walked down the hall. "Hey, wait!" I started to say, but then gave up when I realized I shouldn't argue.

After a minute or two, we arrived at the hall where I was interrogated. "You took your time." Harada-san stated. "What are you guys going to do about the growls my stomach is making?" Nagakura-san complained impatiently. "I'm sorry we kept you waiting." I apologized, although I realized that there was no need to.

"What's she doing here?" Harada-san asked surprised. "What she's not allow to?" Todou-san asked. "No at all, food tastes better when good friends come together to eat." Nagakura-san stated. "Look, don't just stand there, sit down with us." Harada-san offered as he slid over to make a spot between Nagakura-san and himself. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience." I said, bowing my head.

"Here you go." Todou-san said as he put my tray in the empty spot. "Thank you so much, Todou-san." I said, gratefully. "Yeah, but enough with the 'Todou-san', everyone just calls me, 'Heisuke', I'm fine with that." he said. "But…" I said unsure about this. "It looks like we're about the same age, so it's alright." he insisted, "And I'll just call you Chizuru, okay." "So, it's Heisuke-kun then." I said. "Yeah, that's much better." Heisuke-kun said with a smile, "Okay, Chizuru, it's really nice to meet you." "Yes!" I said, with a smile as well.

Then as I took my seat, everyone began eating their meals. "Still, tonight's dinner is a little stingy as usual, so therefore…" Nagakura-san said as he took a piece of food from Heisuke-kun's tray. "Hey Shinpachi! Why do you always go for my food?" Heisuke-kun asked. "It's all about body size, Heisuke, those who are big, just need to eat more." he explained. "Well, I'm still a growing boy, so I need to eat more." Heisuke-kun argued as he made a go for Nagakura-san's fish. "To slow!" he exclaimed as he took the fish out of Heisuke-kun's reach and ate it head first.

"You're eating it as is?" Heisuke-kun exclaimed, "At least take the bones out. That's disgusting!" "So, do you want this?" Nagakura-san teased. "No! I don't!" Heisuke-kun snapped. "Why won't you eat it? Come on!" Nagakura-san urged. "I don't want it!" Heisuke-kun argued.

"It's like this all the time, sorry for all the ruckus, they're animals." Harada-san stated apologetically. "Not at all, having everyone here and being lively is really fun." I said, "Plus, I'm used to a lot of noisy people at mealtime." It's true, I actually really miss my old life at home, despite the constant chaos. Having to eat my meals alone in that closed room was really lonely, there were times I would cry out of loneliness. Being able to eat with a whole bunch of people again was a real relieve for me.

"You've finally smiled." Harada-san stated. "What?" I asked perplexed. "You realized that we don't mean you any harm." he explained, "You should always smile like that, it's cute!" "Alright." I said with a blush. Maybe the Shinsengumi aren't so bad after all.

"Pardon me everyone." Inoue-san announced as he opened the door, "I have just received word from Hijikata-san, who's in Osaka. It seems that in the course of his duties, Sannan-san incurred a great injury." The room was filled with surprised and worried gasps in an instance. "How bad are his injuries?" asked a concerned Nagakura-san.

"According to the letter, the wounds are deep and are to his left arm. " Inoue-san continued to explain, "Although, it would be difficult to hold a sword again, his life is not in danger." "Oh thank goodness!" I exclaimed in a relieved sigh. "It's not good!" Heisuke-kun bellowed, which confused me. "Wielding a sword is extremely difficult with just one arm." Saitou-san explained, "Sannan-san might never be able to hold a blade again."

Now I think I understand, if a deep wound were to severely damage a muscle or nerve, the arm might become lame, paralyzed, semi-paralyzed, or in a worst case scenario, will have to be amputated. "Now excuse me, I have urgent matters to discuss with Kondou-san." Inoue-san excused himself as he closed the door and walked down the hall. That left us, with a silenced room over the shock of the news.

"If it's comes down to it, we could always have him take the medicine." Okita-san suggested. "Don't be foolish, we can't risk a 'Shinsengumi' leader like that." Nagakura-san scolded. "What, but isn't Sannan-san the deputy commander?" I asked, trying to see if I understood what they were talking about. "Well about that…" he said, tumbling over his words to explain in the best way possible.

"You got it all wrong, the name for our group means 'Newly selected corps'." Heisuke-kun began to explain, "But for the 'Shinsengumi' we're talking about, the 'sen' part means…" "HEISUKE!" Harada-san yelled as he abruptly stood up from his seat, spilling the trays as he charged at Heisuke-kun. I shrieked as his right fist landed harshly into Heisuke-kun's left cheek and sent him flying straight into the nearest wall. "HEISUKE-KUN! WHAT YOU DO THAT FOR!?" I exclaimed as I tried to see if Heisuke-kun was alright, but was stopped by Nagakura-san, who held a left arm in front of me.

"That's going too far, Sano." Nagakura-san stated, "Try thinking of Heisuke and the girl as well." "I'm sorry." Harada-san said apologetically after he calmed down. "Yeah, I'm sorry too." Heisuke-kun said while rubbing his redden cheek to try and ease the pain, "But geez, Sano-san, you sure know how to take a swing!"

"Sorry, Chizuru-chan, but that's all you're allowed to hear." Nagakura-san in an apologetic tone, "I'm sure you have questions, but I must ask you to not ask anything more." "But I…" I started to say. "The 'Shinsengumi' Heisuke mentioned…" Okita-san started to say as he stared at nowhere in particular in deep thought as the other gave the same silence, "Means some very sad children." I stood there flabbergasted, whatever was going on in this place, and they didn't want me to know. I even began to doubt if I'll survive this place long enough to find Dad and get home.

_**Sorry, this took so long, I have a lot to deal on my plate and I try to write on these stories as much as possible. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and will continue reading my works! Thank you!**_


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